Reap What You Sow
by NettieC
Summary: In a late night confession, Olivia admits she just wants to do some gardening, never having done it before in her life. In that instant, Elliot realises what he wants and it's no surprise it's the woman beside him.


**Disclaimer: they're not mine - only wish they were.**

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It was late Friday night as Elliot fished out his key to open the front door.

"Hurry up, man," grumbled Fin dancing on the step, the frigid night air doing little to help his need for the bathroom.

"Yeah, yeah," Elliot replied, going slower just to annoy him.

When the door was opened, Fin pushed through his three colleagues and headed up to the bathroom. "Sure come on in," Elliot called after him, grinning.

Taking Munch and Olivia's jackets he ushered them into the sitting room before draping the garments over the staircase banister.

"Now, for a night cap," Elliot said, heading to his makeshift bar. "You can have whatever you like as long as it's scotch or whiskey. What'll it be?"

"Huge choice there, Stabler," Olivia said wryly as she dropped onto the end of the sofa.

"There is," he said. "You can have it neat, with water, with soda, or with ice."

"With ice," Olivia and Munch said in unison, the latter sitting in the armchair closest to the heater.

"Ice it is."

Moving back to his guests Elliot placed four glasses of whiskey on ice on the coffee table, before passing one to Olivia and Munch.

"Phew, that's better," Fin said, claiming the remaining armchair and reaching forward for a glass. Elliot picked up his glass and sat at the other end of the sofa.

"Well, here's to us," Fin said, raising his glass. "And getting another one of the bastards." His colleagues raised their glasses, more than happy to commemorate the end of another long, arduous case.

"Is it just me…" Munch began.

"It's just you," Elliot laughed before he'd even completed his thought.

"Or…" he continued, glaring at Elliot. "Are the perps getting younger?"

"Maybe we're just getting older," Olivia offered.

"Maybe you are, Liv," said Fin. "But I'm not feeling old these days!"

"That's because you're feeling a twenty six year old," Munch said, causing Fin to nearly choke on his drink.

"Who told you?" Fin spluttered.

"I'm a detective … it didn't take much. Kara, isn't it? Nurse at Mercy?" Munch probed.

"Maybe," Fin answered. "And what about you?" he countered, wanting to take the focus off himself.

"What about me?" Munch asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Who are you feeling these days?" Fin questioned.

"You'll need to figure that one out on your own," he retorted, giving away nothing.

After a few moments of silence, Fin turned to Elliot and Olivia. "What about you two?"

"What about us?" Olivia asked warily, knowing from past experiences that alcohol consumption often led to too much being revealed.

"You guys involved …with anyone?" he asked, enjoying the uncomfortable looks he was evoking.

"Nope," Elliot answered. "I'm a happily divorced man."

"Me neither," said Olivia. "I'm footloose and fancy free."

Fin shook his head; he had no idea why two senior, experienced detectives couldn't see what was right in front of them.

"You don't know what you're missing," he grinned.

Another half hour or so of friendly banter ensued before Fin got to his feet.

"Well, old man, how about you give me a lift home?" he said to Fin.

"Yeah, I was thinking it was time I made a move," Munch said, getting to his feet. "What about you, Liv? Can I give you a ride?"

Olivia looked at her watch, it was almost 11:00 PM. "I might just hang out here and have another drink," she said. "Is that alright with you, El?"

"Fine with me," he replied, showing Fin and Munch to the door.

"Another drink?" Fin said sarcastically to Munch when Olivia was out of hearing range. "Is that what they call it these days?"

"Hey!" The warning tone in Elliot's single word was enough to curtail any response Munch may have had.

"Sorry," Fin mumbled. "Night."

Elliot moved from the door and poured both he and Olivia another drink before coming back to the sofa.

"Glad that case is done," she said, her head dropping back onto the sofa, her eyes closed.

"Yeah, me too … it was a hard one," agreed Elliot.

"And I'm glad we're not on til Monday now," she added, struggling to open her eyes once more.

"Got any plans?" he asked, smiling at her.

"Nope," she replied. "Well, except for some much needed sleep. You?"

"Nope," he answered. "Kathy's dad's seventieth birthday, they're all down in Florida."

"You're a free agent then, you finally get some time to yourself," she smiled.

"I know," he grinned. "Wanna do something?" he asked, not used to spending any length of time by himself.

"Did you have something in mind?" she asked.

"No, you?" he countered.

Olivia kicked off her shoes and placed her feet on the seat, drawing her knees up to her chest. In one hand she held her glass and gently swirled the ice cubes, the other was wrapped around her legs. Slowly she looked up at him and smiled.

"What?" he asked.

"You'll think it's stupid," she answered.

"No, I won't," he replied. "If you could do anything this weekend, Liv, what would it be?"

"I'd like to do some gardening," she replied.

"Gardening? Really?" he said surprised.

"Told you you'd think it was stupid," she said, dropping her eyes.

"It's not stupid, just different. Why gardening?" he asked.

"It's spring, the flowers are blooming … when we were in Central Park on Wednesday the groundsman was mowing the lawn … that's what I'd like to do…" her voice trailed but Elliot knew she wasn't finished. "You know," she finally continued. "I've never lived in a house with a garden … you're probably sick of gardening with the big yard you had at the house and the one you have here but just to mow it and be able to breathe in that fresh cut grass smell … I think that would be nice." She grinned at him.

Elliot's mind began to wander. He had spent his life in homes with yards and gardening duties, even as a seven year old he remembered raking leaves in fall. He couldn't imagine living in a concrete box his whole life and never having his own patch of earth to work in. He looked at the expression on her face; the wistful anticipation of doing something as mundane as gardening got to him.

In that instant he could see the home he wanted for the two of them; a two storey house with a double garage and huge yard. An old oak tree in the front providing shelter from the summer sun and an old elm in the back for a tyre swing for the kids … their kids … or if that wasn't possible … his kids or even grandkids when they came to visit. The house would be cream with heritage green trims and the inside would be warm and cosy and full of love and life.

"El?" Her voice broke him from his wanderings. "You still with me?"

"Ah yeah," he muttered, shaking his head. It was a wonderful image … a wonderful dream … but before he got another mortgage and planned his old age with Olivia it would be helpful to have at least gotten to first base with her.

"If you're tired I can go," she offered, beginning to lower her feet to the floor.

"No, no," he said, grabbing her feet and moving them into his lap. "Don't go."

Gently he began to massage her feet; her first thought was that it wasn't right, they didn't touch, they didn't sit a foot away from each other on the sofa, drinking and chatting cosily at midnight either. But as his thumbs pressed into the insteps of her feet she stopped thinking altogether.

"Good?" he asked when she murmured contently.

"Aha," she replied, her eyes closing and her head resting on the sofa.

"Good!" he smiled, watching the delight on her face with interest.

"If I'd have known you were so good I would have had you doing this years ago," she whispered.

_If I'd known it would have this effect I would have done it years ago, _he thought to himself.

As his hands continued their gentle manipulation of her feet, his mind began to wander once more. It went straight back to the house he had just imagined. They'd be like this in their sitting room, in front of a huge open fire. She'd be wearing much less and so would he. When her feet had received enough treatment his hands would go to work on the rest of her, massaging their way up her legs as far as he could reach from his seated position. Gently he would tug her towards him and she would need little encouragement to come to him so his hands could massage her neck and shoulders.

After enjoying his tender ministrations, Olivia would turn to face him, nuzzling into his neck as her hand rubbed his chest, his lips would press gently onto her head, her forehead, her cheek, as she moved in his arms to reciprocate. Before anything went too far he'd lead her up to their bedroom and the night would be theirs to enjoy.

"You've drifted off on me again," Olivia said smiling at him as his eyes opened.

"Not so much drifting as daydreaming," he admitted.

"Yeah? Something nice?" she asked, noting the smile on his face and the gleam in his eyes.

"Very," he grinned.

"Wanna share?" she asked, as his hands caressed her feet once more. He shook his head but when he stilled his eyes dropped from her eyes to her lips and settled there. "Wanna show me?" she asked quietly.

Instantly his eyes were back on hers. "Huh?" was all he could manage.

"I asked if you wanted to show me …" she said in a low, sultry tone.

"Uh…" he stalled.

"El, I told you what I wanted … what do you want?" she whispered.

He took a deep breath. Prayed his heart wouldn't give out and decided for the first time in years to go with an unabridged … uncensored response.

"I…" he croaked before coughing to clear his throat. "I want to give you everything you've ever wanted … everything you've ever missed out on, Olivia."

Her eyes widened and her mouth dropped open, it wasn't at all what she had anticipated.

"You do?" she breathed.

He nodded. "Everything," he repeated.

Slowly, Olivia made her way along the sofa, curling her legs under her and kneeling next to him. Her hands ran up his chest before she manoeuvred herself to be sitting in front of him, her hand raising his to her neck.

"If you can do to my neck what you did to my feet, I'm yours," she muttered, her head falling to the side as his fingers moved along her neck. She whimpered when he pressed into a particular sore spot.

"Sorry, Liv," he whispered, using his lips to soothe the spot, which only made her whimper once more. "Does this mean I fail?" he asked quietly. His heart nearly stopped when she nodded.

"Just as well I've always been yours," she whispered as she turned in his arms and kissed him deeply.

While the house with the big fireplace and garden was a dream that had to wait, Elliot wasn't about to let another dream go so easily.

"Liv," he groaned as her hands ran down his body. Olivia peeled herself from him before standing and taking his hand.

"Bed," she said quietly, leading him up the stairs. While not privy to his dreams for their future, she had her own dreams for the weekend and spending it in his bed, with him was top of the list.

"You sure?" he asked, stopping her at his bedroom door.

"Positive!" she said, kissing him. "Gardening can wait til we have our own home."

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End file.
